Without You
by SamxXxBluePulser
Summary: When John and Dave get in a fight and break up right before John leaves for a different state, both of them suffer. But when John's plane crashes on a deserted island and he goes missing, Dave frantically searches for him, regretting his mistakes. And what happens when John realizes the island isn't actually deserted? Survival Au, JohnDave, Pepsicola. T for violence and language.
1. Prologue

**Kay guys! This is m new obsession: Homestuck =D and I've barely gotten into it. I'm only to Rose in her room when the electricity goes out…xD**

**But I've read like a zillion fanfics and have concluded that my OTP is JohnDave…;)**

**So enjoy this prologue!**

"Dave…"

John bit his lip, staring at the back of the white shirt of his best friend. The boy still didn't turn around, ignoring the raven-haired boy like he had for the past three days.

"I'm leaving in five minutes…" he said softly, wishing Dave would turn around.

But the blonde continued tapping at his phone, apparently not hearing his best friend. John's lip trembled as he clutched at his suitcase. Dave stiffened slightly but otherwise didn't react.

"I'm sorry…I didn't forget on purpose and you know it," John mumbled, feeling tears form in his eyes.

His blonde friend just laughed mirthlessly at something on his screen. The raven-haired boy felt hot tears start to run down his face, struggling to control his emotions, but they were too strong to contain. He sniffled, grabbing the handle as tightly as he could, not noticing the bruises forming.

"Dave…just say s-something…anything…" John said desperately, not wanting to leave until the blonde spoke.

Finally, Dave turned, shades still perched firmly on his face.

"I regret ever liking you," was all he said in a cold, dead tone.

It was too much for John to take; he gasped out, "Fine then," turned around, and fled the house, not caring when the door slammed behind him.

Tears blurred his vision as he dragged his suitcase across the grass and onto the pavement, causing a loud scraping sound. He was leaving, leaving for a state on the other side of the country, and his best friend—and ex-boyfriend now—didn't care even one bit. John decided not to care either: he would pretend that the very reason he still lived, that he smiled, that he loved to death, didn't matter to him.

So as John, more upset than he had ever been, got onto an airplane later that day without ever knowing how much he would regret not telling Dave a real goodbye.

**Yeah. So, like the summary says, John's plane crashes, Dave goes insane with worry, blah, blah, fluffy shit, cue make out session,**

**Ahem.**

**So. A new chapter will be up every Saturday, and will be about 10 pages (I hope).**

**Please review and tell me what you think? :)**

**~samx**


	2. Crashed Emotions

**I am so sorry this took so long! I'm traveling for my uncle's wedding and barely had any time to type! Also, I've been on 6 separate plane flights and was thinking about this story and hoping my plane didn't crash…**

**And also, I don't know exactly where John or Dave lives….so let's just say they both live in New York and John is moving to California, ok? It makes sense for the story ^^'**

**John is 14, Dave is 15.**

"Finally!" John sighed and collapsed back in his seat, rubbing his temples.

He was exhausted after going through all the airport security; his luggage weighed too much thanks to all the prank materials and comics he brought along, cake mixes were found in his dad's suitcase and thought to be poisoned, and he hadn't eaten anything since last night. He sighed again and closed his eyes, which promptly flew open when a flight attendant banged into him.

"Sorry!" she smiled in apology, patting her blonde hair before walking off.

John was reminded of someone else with platinum blonde hair too, a certain someone who—

No. He couldn't think about him right now. He wouldn't.

John bit his lip as his dad climbed over his legs in order to reach the seat to his right. His dad began to babble about some new recipe book he bought, and John tuned out as he looked around the plane. It was pretty big, with white walls and dark blue seats. There were TV's on the back of every seat, and pillows and blankets, along with a set of earphones, were stuffed in the seat pocket. To his right was his dad and to the left an empty seat. The row of seats next to him contained a girl with shot blonde hair reading a very thick book, a little boy with spiky hair that was crying, and a woman with long, sandy blonde hair. Some teenagers were talking over the seats a couple of rows back, and an elderly couple sat in front of him.

"Good morning everyone, this is Captain Henry Locket speaking. Today's flight to California will take about 6 hours, and we will be serving dinner and snacks. Dinner will be in 3 hours, and drinks will be available throughout the flight. Thank you for choosing United Airlines and have a nice trip."

The voice was switched off, and John looked past his dad out the window as the plane engine started up. It hummed loudly, and John jolted in his seat. He hurriedly buckled his seat belt as a man walked by and nearly fell. He relaxed as the plane moved faster and faster and finally took off.

"Here," his dad passed him some gum.

John took it, smiling a little in gratitude, and popped it into his mouth. He chewed hard, the minty bubbles traveling down his throat and making his ears pop. John decided to take a nap to pass the time; he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, blocking out all sounds. He tried to think about how fun California would be, with its beaches and sunny days and bright blue skies, but the only image that came to his mind was a cool kid who should've been forgotten.

**~x~**

Dave stood in front of a tall maple tree with a cruddy tree house built a couple of feet high, nesting in a crook of a thick, curved branch. He took off his shades, placing them behind him, and sat with his legs crossed as he continued staring. This was the tree house john and him had built 5 years ago, when they were 9 and 10. Dave's crimson eyes traveled over the unstable wooden planks, the messages carved in the walls, the window it had taken them months to create. He was suddenly overwhelmed with a whirl of memories.

_John smiling shyly at Dave, his blue eyes so big and innocent._

_John jumping up and trying to touch Dave's head, exclaiming, "You're so tall!"_

_Dave chasing after John for dumping water on him, who was screaming and laughing at the top of his lungs._

_Them gathering wood for the tree house, and John getting a splinter._

_John trying to act tough but failing when those big blue eyes filled with tears._

_Dave briefly hugging John, ruffling his hair and telling him to quit being a baby._

_John pouting but smiling, that rare, genuine smile just for him._

_The two of them sitting in the finished tree house, John in Dave's lap, grinning like a fool._

_A few years later, when Dave had to leave for a couple of weeks, and John hugging him tightly, saying softly, "Don't forget to call me. Every day!"_

_Dave playing video games with John, beating the crap out of him, but John kept smiling through his lost cause._

_John making Dave watch terrible Nicholas Cage movies, insisting that they weren't that bad._

_Dave helping John prank some kids who were bullying him._

_Both of them accidently blowing up the kitchen when trying to make a cake._

_Many years later when Dave finally got the guts to ask John out._

_Their first date, in which they had a sleepover and ate pizza all night long._

_Dave's 13 birthday, which was a surprise party thrown by John._

_Dave kissing John fiercely, never wanting to let go._

_A year later, when John forgot Dave's birthday._

_Dave, sitting alone on his special night, waiting for a certain someone to come knocking on his door._

_John begging him to forgive him, crying._

_John leaving for the airport._

_John, gone forever._

_John not in his life anymore._

_John, his ex-friend._

_John, his ex-boyfriend._

"Hey, uh, are you alright?" a hesitant voice asked.

Dave jerked his head upward, hastily wiping away the few tears that were starting to fall. Strider's didn't cry. He whipped on his shades, glad that his bangs covered part of his eyes, and peered at the girl standing in front of him. She fiddled with her long brown hair. He gave her a hard look, though she probably couldn't tell thanks to his shades.

"What are you doing here?" he asked more harshly than intended.

"Just the same as you. Looking at the trees and stuff," she replied, not looking offended or hurt.

Dave simply stood up and walked away, not wanting to have a conversation with this stranger girl. She followed him, her round glasses almost falling off, and grabbed his arm.

"Hey, wait! I didn't mean to disturb you." She said, frowning slightly.

"Well you did. And if you would kindly excuse me…" Dave shook her off and wove in between the trees, groaning when he heard her footsteps approach again.

"I just want to talk…I'm kinda bored," the girl smile widely, and Dave suppressed an urge to ignore her.

"I really want to be alone," his voice cracked lightly, and she looked concerned.

"What's wrong?" her tone was so worried, so soft, and it reminded him of John's.

Which was probably why Dave sat down and began to tell Jade, as she said her name was, about his life story.

**~x~**

John was awoken by screams. His eyes flew open as he realized the plane was shaking. His heart jumped into his throat as he unbuckled his belt and tried to find out what was going on. The lights flickered on and off. Bags and purses and people were sliding down the aisles, banging into other people and sending more objects flying. The compartments above flew open, and heavy luggage fell out, the shaking sending them across the room. John jumped onto his seat and fell back down as a purse hit him squarely in the chest. He threw it off him, ignoring the burning pain in his lungs as the air pressure increased. He noticed oxygen masks dangling above him, swinging wildly, and grabbed one, slipping it on. He looked to the side for his dad but didn't see him, and he began to panic.

"Dad!" he called, jumping over the handle and looking out the window.

The shaking caused his head to slam against the wall, and he felt blood dribble down his face. He was bleeding but he didn't care. Careful not to get hit again, John glanced out the window and saw nothing but blue, blue, and blue. He saw a speck of brown that was so small he could have imagined it. They were over the ocean, which was ridiculous, as they were way off course. He could hear a voice trying to speak on the intercom, but the noise form the passengers was too loud.

More screams rang out as a wing was ripped off by the wind. John saw through the gap that the sky had turned dark, and the water choppy.

Dread pooled in his stomach as the plane lurched suddenly and plummeted downwards. He was going to die, he realized. He felt tears come to his eyes. People were sucked through the hole in the other side of the plane, and tossed into the ocean. John knew this storm was bad, very bad, and possibly no one was going to make it. He now wished he had told Dave a proper goodbye. The water rushed up to greet the remaining parts of the plane. John estimated impact in about 45 seconds.

A chunk of the floor near him was ripped off, and his mouth opened in a silent scream as the metal tore up his leg. It felt like liquid flames were running up and down his leg as he fell off the seat and rolled down the hole.

John was falling, falling through the sky. Salty water pelted his face and body, making his injury burn even more. He was dizzy as he tumbled through the air. Through his blurred gaze he could make out the plane a few hundred feet away. The wind pushed him even further, and suddenly his vision was all navy blue. John plunged into the freezing water, sinking and sinking and sinking. he had forgotten to take a breath, so it felt like he was choking. His lungs desperately tried to locate air, but underwater there was no oxygen.

_Dave_, his mind called for help.

But of course, no help came. He felt himself start to black out. The pain from salt entering the gash on his leg and from inhaling water were combining to slowly kill him. He flailed around, kicking his legs to try and reach the surface, but the water kept dragging him back down. He closed his eyes as he drifted through the water, and finally fell into the abyss of darkness.

**I know it isn't ten pages but this wedding stuff is really taking up my time!**

**Please review…!**

**~samx**


	3. Realizations for Survival

**Yes, it had been a while since the last update! I ish sowwy ;P but here is the next chapter! **

**BTW! This is only with humans. No trolls bc I don't understand them D: I haven't finished Homestuck yet…! Sorry.**

**~x~**

Jade was a pretty good listener, Dave soon found out. She thought they—John and Dave—were really cute the first year, and she was saddened when Dave told her about the birthday mishap.

"But you still love him?" She asked, and he nodded, red eyes sad behind the shades.

"Then…why did you let him go?" she questioned softly, green eyes confused.

"Because…" Dave gritted his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut tightly so the tears wouldn't escape him.

"Because I'm an idiot." He sighed and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Jade called after him, even though she knew the answer.

"To find him," Dave replied, putting a hand in his pocket and clenching the piece of paper with her number written on it.

"Good luck!" she gave him a bright smile and watched him walk off. She wished he would stay and help her with her own problems, but she was glad she could help Dave.

The said cool kid was practically running by now, and he whipped out his phone, scrolling down his contact list to a very familiar number. He didn't even pause before sending a text to John a simple text: hi. There was a beep, and he looked down at his phone to read a message stating that John's phone had been disconnected. Dave frowned. This was knew. John always had his phone on, even in the middle of the night or at school. Something was wrong, Dave suddenly thought, uneasiness pooling in his stomach and making his head spin.

He ran home, only to find Bro waiting for him, a mixed expression of sadness and regret on his face. Something was definitely not right. The blonde came to a sudden halt, slamming the door behind him and scowling at his brother.

"What?" Dave asked in a low tone.

"Your uh…boyfriend—"

"He isn't my boyfriend," Dave snapped, crossing his arms.

"Well…his plane, it uh, crashed."

Dave felt like a tube was sucking all the air in the room out. He gasped, not grasping the idea that John, his John, could be dead, could be—

"Hey now, don't freak out…they found most of the passengers." But Bro wouldn't look at Dave; he was shifting uncomfortably, rubbing his hand together.

"Was John one of the passengers found?" Dave asked in a trembling voice, but he didn't need an answer. The sorrow in Bro's eyes when he took off his shades was enough.

**~x~**

When John opened his eyes, the light was blinding. He blinked hard, wiping salty crust from his eyes as he staggered to his feet, a hand shielding his face. As his eyes finally adjusted to the brightness, his gaze skimmed over warm sand, bright blue water, and tall trees with thick brown trunks. His clothes were stiff and smelled like the ocean. His pants were ripped, and as he tried to fold them up, a shocking pain rippled down his leg. Gasping in pain, his hands shook as he clenched his fists, yellow spots dancing across his vision. He tried to steady himself, but the urge to vomit was too strong. He doubled over and emptied the contents of his stomach, chocking on the sour taste. Suddenly weak, he fell to his knees, a burning pain in his leg. He looked down through a blurry haze and saw a wide gash with dried blood on the corners. He saw a metal glint, and realized some metal was stuck in the wound.

John bit his lip, not sure if he should take it out or not. Deciding not to, in case it was infected or he blacked out.

John decided to explore the island once he regained some strength. Sitting down properly, resting his hands on the warm sand and looking out. He was on a long, thin strip of land, about 20 feet and stretching north into a jungle. If he turned east, he could see another strip of land, about 1000 feet away, but extending even further, maybe where civilization was. Of course, either he could swim across, or he could go through the jungle. He weighed his options: the water could be infested with sharks, jelly fish, or sting rays, and if he got tired he'd have to float, meaning he was an easy target from below. If he chose the jungle path, there could be wild animals, maybe tigers or snakes. But on the up side, there could be plants, and maybe fresh water.

He took a deep breath and got to his feet. His head spun and the sour taste in his mouth threatened to spill again, but his leg had gone numb. He didn't know if that was good or not, but chose to ignore it as long as it didn't slow him down.

John shakily got to his feet, hunger pangs almost causing him to fall, but managed to take a few small steps. He took a few more of longer stride, then kept a steady pace as he headed towards the jungle-like patch. He would need to find food and water first, John reasoned, and then maybe a place to sleep. He took deep breath, trying not to think about the plane crash, and began to walk again.

**~x~**

"Hello?" a cheery female voice spoke on the other line after a couple of rings.

"Hey. Can we meet up and talk?" Dave asked softly, his voice quivering.

"Sure Dave! Same place?" Jade responded, and Dave nodded before realizing she couldn't see him, and said, "Yeah. See you in a few," and hung up.

It had been about 3 hours since Dave heard about the crash, 3 hours since he locked himself in his room and cried until he held no more tears. He wasn't ashamed either. John was assumed dead. Dead, gone forever. And the last words Dave had ever said to him were, "I regret ever liking you."

The blonde's breath came in quick, uneven gasps as he walked a bit faster towards the old tree house where Jade was waiting for him. She looked up when she heard his footsteps but her happy expression faded as she noticed his appearance. His blonde hair was messy and not cool at all, his shades were perched crookedly on his face, his clothes were ruffled, and his face was stained with dried tears.

"Oh my god! Dave, what happened?!" Jade exclaimed, her green eyes wide in worry, Dave just sat down, hugging his knees to his chest, his lip trembling. He didn't resemble anyone remotely cool or ironic, just a heartbroken kid.

"John…his plane crashed…he's missing." Dave choked out, trying to keep his emotions in check. Jade had a hand over her mouth, looking horrified. She didn't know what to say that would reassure the blonde boy.

"Oh Dave…" she whispered, and he looked up at her, taking off his shades. She was surprised by the shiny red color, but not scared.

"Can you…will you help me find him?" Dave asked, and when she nodded, a smile ghosted over his face.

"Then let's go. the airport is pretty far away."

**I didn't proofread this, so sorry! How are you guys liking this so far? What can I improve?**


	4. Things go Wrong

**So-o-o-o, I'm stuck in this hell-hole for 10 more days and the power goes out a lot and then the wifi dies and it makes me so upset! Ugh.. ok, I'm done ranting. Please read on the next chapter, in which you will (hopefully) be in suspense of!**

**Enjoy.**

**~x~**

He couldn't help it. With every step came a burst of pain, both physically and mentally. His leg had began to hurt again, in quick, sharp, stabs of pain that made him wince and gasp. His mind kept whirling back to the plane crash, and if his dad was ok. Where were the rest of the passengers? Did they survive? Was he alone on this island? Did Dave know his plane had crashed?

He could imagine the blonde sitting on his couch, his crimson eyes shining with tears as he stared at the TV, watching the report of the plane crash with horrified eyes, wishing he hadn't been so—

John stopped himself when he realized he was crying. Hot tears cascaded down his face as he collapsed in a heap. If he kept losing himself like this, he was never going to make it off this island alive. He had a small hope that maybe someone in the crash made it back to the mainland and called for help, and there was a search and rescue team out right this minute.

But he didn't even know where he was, or how far away from the States he was. All he knew was this island might lead to Hawaii possible, because he could see land far off in the distance, a couple of miles away, maybe. He took a deep breath, pushing these thoughts away, and began to walk again.

One foot first, then the next. Step, step, step. One foot in front, then the next. Step, step, step. He concentrated and walked to a constant beat, his fee moving faster and faster to keep up with the mental rhythm he was stepping to.

It reminded him of Dave's raps; they were so weird yet so familiar. He could imagine the blonde scowling and demanding him to stop laughing, but they were both smiling. John held on to that memory like a lifeline, as if that memory was the only thing moving him forward.

He saw a shadow on the sand, and then another and another, all wavy and distorted thanks to the uneven ground.

He craned his neck back, trying not to wince at the stiffness, and was immediately in awe of the towering green and brown trees he was staring at. They were a mix of palm trees and another spiky tree, which looked very dangerous.

John squinted his blue eyes and peered through the jungle. He could make out more tree trunk shapes. Birdcalls and animal growls echoed somewhere deep past the trees. It wasn't really that appealing of a suggestion at all, but there was no other option.

He steeled himself, his hands shaking as he covered up his leg wound with more ripped cloth; it was still bleeding, and the dried blood was starting to flake off. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, pinching the wound slightly in order to stop the flow. The gash wasn't long, just deep, almost to the bone. The metal shards pushed deeper and deeper with every step, but he was still too afraid to pull them out.

He bit his lip and pressed the cloth against the injury, applying more pressure in hopes of stopping the bleeding, but it only stemmed the flow a little.

**~x~**

"Bro. I need a ride." Dave said, startling the blonde who was sitting on the couch, messing with his puppets.

"To where exactly?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at his younger brother, focus not entirely on him.

"The airport," Dave replied, tapping his foot to demonstrate his impatience. This got his attention; the oldest Strider pushed his shades down and gave Dave a disbelieving look.

"Yeah, as if. Look, the airport is at least 3 hours away, without traffic. There's no way I can-"

"What if it was Jake?" Dave interrupted, playing his last and desperate card. Bro stopped, stunned, squeezing his eyes shut and taking deep breaths.

"Don't you…dare mention him, or—" he looked like he was on the verge of breaking down.

"I'd drop everything for you if it was Jake and you know that!" Dave yelled.

"…get in the car." Bro answered, standing up and grabbing the keys from the table. Dave felt a bit guilty, as he thought he could see a few tears in his brother's eyes, but he pushed the feeling down and went outside. Jade was waiting for him, green eyes wide in worry, and he gave her a slight smile.

"C'mon," he told her, opening the door and letting her slide in. He did the same, and appreciated when Bro didn't give her a second glance. He started up the car, adjusted the mirror, and backed out, almost hitting the curb. Clearly, his mind was somewhere else.

Two hours later, they were approaching the exit to the airport. It wasn't that much of a rush, but all the taxis and huge bus/coaches made it difficult to navigate through the streets and find parking. Bro finally found a space in the parking structure, on the 4th level. He turned off the ignition and twisted around so he could face Dave and Jade in the back.

"Listen kids. I'm going to wait here while you do whatever you have to. You have an hour before I flip out and come after you, here me?" Bro instructed fiercely. Dave was already climbing out of the car his thoughts on exactly where he was going to go first. Jade quickly followed him, her long brown hair almost getting caught in the door when Bro reached over and slammed it shut.

The two quickly walked across the road, dodging buses and angry drivers in order to reach the solid gray platform. Jade almost slipped but grabbed onto Dave's blue hoodie. It was a bit small and tight on him, as if it belonged to someone with a smaller and more slender build. The brunette didn't need any more info to know ho it belonged too. She didn't say anything about it though.

They approached the airport's main glass doors and went inside; they walked down the long hallways until they were stopped

"This way?" an uncertain look passed over Dave's face as he stared at two signs over two different doors that led inside the airport. One was for people boarding, and the other was for people with extra luggage. Jade bit her lip before pointing to the boarding sign. They both ducked inside, realized the security guard was eyeing them suspicious, and tried to blend in with the crowd.

That plan went wrong very fast.

**~x~**

John's first thought was that it was hot. Really, really hot. He limped slowly past the first couple of trees, ducking in order to avoid the giant fronds, and squinted through the hazy light. Suddenly everything came into focus. John let out a little gasp and lurched backwards, trying not to make any sounds. The creature—he couldn't tell what it was—was the size of a large dog. It had sharp fangs, pointed ears, and resembled a wolf by its maw. It was black and sleek, with huge glowing yellow eyes. it sniffed and let out a snarl before darting off between the trees again.

John let out a shaky breath and moved away from the tree, striding forward into the clearing and spinning around. He could hear birdcalls, growls, and other various sounds. He began to walk again, stepping over broken branches and jumping over the giant red ants crawling all over the ground.

He didn't know exactly how to map out this jungle he was in, but decided to mark every 4th tree he passed with an X. reaching down and grabbing a stone with a sharp edge, he dug it into the base of the nearest tree to him. The bark was sticky and sweet-smelling, kind of like vanilla. John inhaled it, taking great gulps of the sweet air as he carved a crude X into the tree. He steppe back reluctantly, still wanting to smell the vanilla, before turning around.

He had only taken a few steps when he heard that inhuman snarl again. He froze in place, his breath immediately coming in short rasps, and very, very slowly, turned to face that same creature again.

This time, its yellow eyes were locked on him; its fangs dripped hot saliva and it let out a loud growl. The hairs on John's arms and legs stood straight up; shaking, he took a step back, then whirled around and ran as fast as he could. His leg slowed him down though, and he could hear the snarling as the animal crashed through the jungle behind him.

John could hear a rushing sound, like water over rocks, and he ran faster, ignoring the burning pain in his leg, thinking if he made it to the water source he could escape the creature chasing him…

But suddenly there was something wrong, very wrong. He felt light headed and weak, and stumbled over his own feet and fell. He gasped, feeling as if his lungs were slowly filling with acid gas. He couldn't breath, he couldn't move, all he could do was let himself roll down the hill he was on. He hit rocks and branches and collided with a tree. His vision was blurred and he felt lethargic and sleepy. For a second, he forgot who we was and what he was doing, and closed his eyes.

_No, John! Stay awake!_

His eyes flew open as a familiar voice echoed in his brain. He was still rolling, and the rushing sound was getting louder, but all his concentration was on Dave's voice.

_Stay awake you dork. You have to get back to me, ok?  
_His mind was covered with a hazy fog as he tried to slow himself down. But it was no use, the rushing of water was suddenly loud in his ears, and growls seemed to erupt right next to his face, and he could feel the hot saliva slowly dripping on his face, and then John fell into the abyss of darkness, smelling sickenly-sweet vanilla.

**Sorry this took so long guys. **

**Please review and tell me what you think?**

**~samx**


	5. Making New Friends

**SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! I kinda forgot about this story. *offers you cookies of regret***

**And I have a bunch more HS stories, so check them out!**

**Read on~**

* * *

"We aren't going to New Zealand, Dave!" Jade threw her hand in the air in annoyance, tugging the blonde boy back. He groaned.

"I need to find John."

"Playing rugby isn't going to help!"

"I have to find him."

'I know, Dave, I know. Let's just think this through."

They both sat on a bench near the main terminal, Dave cross because he was about to be lectured.

"You need to be more careful, Dave. Carelessness makes you get caught. I say we disguise ourselves to get past security."

"And I'm the one with bad plans."

"You are."

"Disguise ourselves with what?"

"…"

'New plan. Run for it!"

Dave pointed to the guards eyeing them and heading for them. Jade and him started to run, knocking over elderly people and a few kids.

* * *

_You adorable derp, what mess have you gotten yourself into?_

_I can't help you here. _

_Sorry._

_I miss you, Egderp._

_I…_

_I love you, John._

_Please come back to me._

_I'm so sorry that I'm such an idiot._

_Wake up, John!_

"Please wake up now."

John jerked up, a pain shooting through his head and traveling down to his leg. His panicked blue eyes locked with light purple, and his jaw dropped. The blonde girl from the plane was crouched over him, an expression of pity and worry on her face. Her short blonde hair was tucked behind her ears in such a style that the ends looked sharp.

"I—"

"Sit up so you can move your leg?" her voice was smooth and firm. Her purple eyes were intelligent as he sat up and watched her warily.

His leg was no longer crusted with dried blood and the metal bits had been plucked out. It was very sore though, and upon gingerly touching a burst of pain flared. He gasped and pulled back his hand, looking to the girl.

"What did you do?" John asked, his tone cautious. She twirled a finger before replying.

"I fixed it up as best as I could. What's your name?"

"John." He told her after a slight pause. "Rose Lalaonde, pleased to meet you." Her neutral expression never left her face.

"Are you ok?" he asked worriedly. His gaze had fixated upon the bandage wrapped around her neck.

"Of course. However, I cannot say the same for you." Rose motioned to his leg.

"What happened? How did you find me? I thought I had drowned!" he exclaimed, brushing his messy bangs out of his face.

"You were bitten by a strange mix of a leopard and a dog, which I do cannot identify. I saw you floating down the river and fished you out. You were freezing and your leg kept swelling and leaking blood. I had to drain a lot of the blood out, so if you feel dizzy that is the reason." Rose explained.

"Dizzy…I was dizzy before I fell." He said slowly, remembering something. Her eyes flashed in confusion as he tried to piece together what had happened before he fell.

"I don't know what could have caused this dizziness." The blonde girl shrugged a bit, standing to her full height and turning around to get something.

John took the little wooden bowl from her and sniffed the contents. The soup was strong smelling, with a hint of sweetness. He took a sip and coughed; it was hot! Rose smiled in apology and he set the bowl down, wiping his mouth and making a face.

"You have to drink, or you will be left weak." Rose sipped her own bowl, pouring the smooth drink down her throat easily. John tried to do the same, only coughing a little before chugging the whole thing.

It left a rough aftertaste in his mouth, and he frowned a little. Rose looked up at the sky, a little patch of fading blue visible through the trees.

John sat back and rocked on his heels, trying to ignore his throbbing leg.

"It will soon be night." Rose noted, her eyes gleaming as dark started to creep up upon them.

Nervously, John looked around, expecting to see the same yellow eyes again, or maybe a tiger this time. Did tigers even live in the jungle? Or was it lions? He didn't know; maybe a few bats would attack him.

"Perhaps we should sleep in the trees, just to be safe." Rose touched the base of the nearest one and swung up onto the first branch, and he followed reluctantly. In a few minutes, they were high above, hearing chattering, chirping, clicking, and calling echo throughout the jungle. John marveled at how loud it always seemed to be.

Rose positioned herself so she could rest her head, eyes closing. John clumsily did the same, letting sleep overtake him

* * *

Of course, Dave blamed Jade for this. All of this, in fact. He insisted that it was her fault that they had been taken into the security office for being underage. That and the fact that Dave would never tell anyone anything. Jade could tell he was almost on the verge of tears, as the hour was already halfway up. She just wanted to make sure he didn't do anything crazy.

"Why are you here?" the woman in charge of security demanded for the 5th time.

"We're looking for information on a missing passenger." Jade explained, ignoring the glare she was sure Dave was directing at her.

"Name?" she barked.

"John Egbert." Dave snapped, not patient at all. The woman's face softened for a fraction of a second before she retorted, "Sorry kiddos. He wasn't found."

Dave's face crumpled, and Jade hastily retrieved a tissue for him. The blonde crushed it off, trying to compose himself.

"Where did the plane crash?" he asked in an even tone. The woman sighed and got up, ruffling through a stack of folders. Jade smiled reassuringly, and he managed a tiny smile back.

"Off the coast of Florida." Was her only comment. There was something strange in her eyes, like a glint of pity mixed with fear.

"Where, exactly?" Jade pressed further, and the woman pushed back her hair and sighed again.

"Look, he's probably in the Bermuda Triangle."

* * *

**Ooh. Review maybe?**

**~samx**


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